Bellona-class ship of the line

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Bombardment of the Morro Castle, Havana, 1 July 1762 RMG BHC0407.jpg
The bombardment of Morro Castle on Havana -
HMS Dragon, centre
Class overview
NameBellona
OperatorsNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Preceded by Valiantclass
Succeeded by Arrogantclass
In service19 February 1760 – 1814
Completed5
Lost2
General characteristics
Type Ship of the line
Length
  • 168 ft (51 m) (gundeck)
  • 138 ft (42 m) (keel)
Beam46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
PropulsionSails
Armament
  • 74 guns:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32-pounders
  • Upper gundeck: 28 × 18-pounders
  • Quarterdeck: 14 × 9-pounders
  • Forecastle: 4 × 9-pounders
NotesShips in class include: Bellona, Dragon, Superb, Kent, Defence

The Bellona-class ships of the line were a class of five 74-gun third rates, whose design for the Royal Navy by Sir Thomas Slade was approved on 31 January 1758. Three ships were ordered on 28 December 1757, with names being assigned on 1 February 1758. Two further ships to this design were ordered on 13 December 1758, at the same time as two ships of a revised design – the Arrogantclass.

Contents

Design

Slade's Bellona class was the first class of British 74s to have a gun deck length of 168 ft (51 m), and marked the beginning of a stabilisation of the design of this size of ship. Several subsequent classes designed by Slade were almost identical to the Bellona draught, with the main differences restricted to the underwater hull – the most numerous of these being the Arrogant and Elizabeth classes. [1]

Ships

Builder: Chatham Dockyard
Ordered: 28 December 1757.
Laid down: 10 May 1758.
Launched: 19 February 1760.
Completed: 6 April 1760.
Fate: Broken up at Chatham, September 1814.
Builder: Deptford Dockyard
Ordered: 28 December 1757.
Laid down: 28 March 1758.
Launched: 4 March 1760.
Completed: 19 April 1760.
Fate: Sold to be broken up, June 1784.
Builder: Deptford Dockyard
Ordered: 28 December 1757.
Laid down: 12 April 1758.
Launched: 27 October 1760.
Completed: 19 December 1760.
Fate: Wrecked at Bombay, 7 November 1783.
Builder: Deptford Dockyard
Ordered: 13 December 1758.
Laid down: 24 April 1759.
Launched: 26 March 1762.
Completed: 8 July 1762.
Fate: Sold to be broken up, August 1784.
Builder: Plymouth Dockyard
Ordered: 13 December 1758.
Laid down: 14 May 1759.
Launched: 31 March 1763.
Completed: 19 October 1770.
Fate: Wrecked off Jutland, 24 December 1811.

Notes

  1. The 74-gun ship Bellona.

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